Island Travel & Tours, Ltd. announced today that nonstop air charter service between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Havana, Cuba will begin on March 21, 2012. The flights are scheduled to depart BWI Marshall Airport at 3:00 p.m. Tickets for the service are now available from Island Travel & Tours.

The weekly service begins shortly before the scheduled visit to Cuba by Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican recently announced that the Pope would visit Cuba from March 26-28.

“There has been great interest and excitement generated by this approved air service to Cuba,” said William Hauf, President of Island Travel & Tours. “The charter service from BWI Marshall will greatly facilitate travel to Cuba by organizations and individuals from Maryland, the Washington, DC region, and the entire Mid-Atlantic. What could be better than to have these flights coincide with the Papal visit?”

Last year, the White House announced new policies to encourage further “purposeful” travel to Cuba. There are many academics, journalists, religious institutions, cultural groups, and other organizations throughout the region that would benefit from the increased, direct charter service to Cuba and the Cuban people from BWI Marshall.

Last spring, BWI Marshall received federal approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to handle passenger charter air service to and from Cuba. The Cuban government subsequently approved Island Travel &Tours, a licensed travel service provider, to offer the service from BWI Marshall.